I've sat back and thought about this. I think the real issue behind the disqualification might be their thoughts about whether the public has the same access to the fish that the private landowner or private club has. They may not admit it but, I would expect that to be the real reason.
It in no way negates the accomplishment of raising the record fish. The very fact that it had a chance to grow to that size takes a lot of skill, commitment, hard work, TLC, babysitting and luck. Some of the luck involves genes but it also helps that you went fishing that day and caught it before something tragic happened to it. Not every private pond owner can either raise it or catch it and you might not ever be able to do it again.
I'm not sure that they ought to certify the deer shot behind a high fence or the $20,000 bull elk that have been carefully raised and turned loose to be shot. But they do and thats not near as hard as doing what you have done.
Geez, I hope you don't write an expose' like Jose Canseco did. If you do, I've never heard of you.
